It’s a wrap for Jack Buckley: Retiring after 33 years with Dover Housing Authority

Thursday

Feb 21, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

DOVER — For the past 33 years, Jack Buckley has helped people.

He has created program after program for the residents of Dover Housing Authority to increase their livelihood and help them succeed and achieve their goals.

He has managed 900 low-income housing units in both the public and private sector as the executive director of the largest public housing development in the state.

He has also helped the city, by being the man behind bringing the Children’s Museum to Henry Law Park and for working adamantly on planning the development of the waterfront.

On Wednesday morning, after 33 years at DHA, he officially submitted his resignation, saying he may be hanging his hat up in his office at the end of the year, but will continue to serve the community he was born in and loves.

“I have mixed feelings about it,” Buckley said on his choice to retire. “It’s a little sad. DHA has been my life for 33 years. It is my baby.”

At 64 years old, Buckley has had enough of New England winters. With a condo in Venice, Fla., calling his name, he said he will spend a good chunk of his time in the sunshine state on the golf course and playing his new favorite sport, pickle ball, after he retires in December, but will continue to spend a majority of the year in the Garrison City.

“I love Dover,” he said. “Dover is always going to be my home, but I just don’t like being cold.”

A year ago, Buckley began to think about retirement. He started to worry about the future of public housing and the budget cuts in Washington and wanted to resign before it continued to get more and more difficult to do what he loves — bring programs to those in need of assistance.

“The days of us being able to find money for social service programs is coming to an end,” he said, while adding they are still working hard, continuing to look into new projects, including a possible purchase of property off Court Street for more low-income housing.

For the past 33 years, Buckley has been able to be more than a “rent collector,” he said. “I have been someone who has been able to develop programs and assist residents to improve the quality of their lives. If I have made any difference in the lives of any of our residents, I think I’ve done my job.”

A complete look at Jack Buckley’s career with DHA will appear in this weekend’s Sunday Citizen.